Comparison of Different Sorbents for Solid-Phase Extraction of Phenoxyalkanoic Acid Herbicides

An HPLC procedure for determination of phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides in water samples is proposed. The analytical column Phenomenex C18(2) Luna 5 µm and UV detection at 225 nm were applied. Baseline resolution was achieved in isocratic mode with a mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile/acetic acid (40/60, v/v), adjusted to pH 2.5. SPE sorbents – C₁₈ BondElut, phenyl-silica, LiChrolut SAX and polymeric sorbents – were compared for isolation and preconcentration of 6 phenoxyalkanoic acid herbicides. Higher (above 95%) and more reproducible recoveries were obtained with polymeric and phenyl-silica sorbents using pure methanol for elution. The method was tested for river water samples with the limit of detection in the range of 2–3 µg L⁻¹ (for 50 mL sample) and a reproducibility of 5% RSD.     

Thermal stability of products prepared by the combination of cyclodextrins and zeolites

Derivatographic and calorimetric measurements were used to study the thermal properties of combined inclusion compounds of zeolite-cyclodextrin type and of zeolite-cyclodextrin-pharmaceutical type. There were differences in the characteristic decomposition temperature intervals and in the modes of cyclodextrin and pharmaceutical liberation from the products. Calorimetric measurements revealed that the process in the newly-formed complex host is connected with a glass transition. The products are intended for use in veterinary medicine.     

The LOV2 domain of phototropin: a reversible photochromic switch

Light, oxygen, or voltage (LOV) domains constitute a new class of photoreceptor proteins that are sensitive to blue light through a noncovalently bound flavin chromophore. Blue-light absorption by the LOV2 domain initiates a photochemical reaction that results in formation of a long-lived covalent adduct between a cysteine and the flavin cofactor. We have applied ultrafast spectroscopy on the photoaccumulated covalent adduct state of LOV2 and find that, upon absorption of a near-UV photon by the adduct state, the covalent bond between the flavin and the cysteine is broken and the blue-light-sensitive ground state is regained on an ultrafast time scale of 100 ps. We thus demonstrate that the LOV2 domain is a reversible photochromic switch, which can be activated by blue light and deactivated by near-UV light.     

Improved selectivity and detection limit of the carbonate-selective electrode

The properties of the carbonate neutral carrier 4-( n-hexadecyl)-3-nitro-1-trifluoroacetylbenzene were compared with those of a similar carrier, without a nitro group, studied previously. In spite of differences in the Hammett constant of the carbonyl group responsible for interaction with the analyte, the analytical characteristics of both carriers, measured under the same conditions, were comparable. Special care was taken to avoid the presence of an excessive carbon dioxide level in the diffusion layer at the membrane-solution interface. The internal reference solution was prepared without carbonate components; the external solution was protected from contact with atmospheric carbon dioxide. Under such conditions the detection limit of both electrodes was extended to 10(-11 )mol L(-1), and the selectivity towards salicylate, chloride, and acetate was significantly improved.     

Determination of carnitine and acylcarnitines in urine by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization ion trap tandem mass spectrometry

A high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry method has been developed for the simultaneous determination of native carnitine and eight acylcarnitines in urine. The procedure uses a solid-phase extraction on a cation-exchange column and the separation is performed without derivatization within 17 min on a reversed-phase C8 column in the presence of a volatile ion-pairing reagent. The detector was an ion trap mass spectrometer and quantification was carried out in the MS-MS mode. Validation was done for aqueous standards at ranges between 0.75 and 200 micromol/l, depending on the compound. Carnitine was quantified in urine and comparison with a radioenzymatic assay gave a satisfactory correlation (R2 = 0.981). The assay could be successfully applied to the diagnostic of pathological acylcarnitines profile of metabolic disorders in urines of patients suffering from different organic acidurias.     

Oxidative cleavage of a cyclobutane pyrimidine dimer by photochemically generated nitrate radicals (no(3)*)

[reaction: see text] Photochemically generated nitrate radicals (NO(3)(*)) cleave the stereoisomeric N,N-dimethyl-substituted uracil cyclobutane dimers 1a-d into the monomeric uracil derivative 2 as the major reaction pathway. A preferred splitting of the syn dimers 1a,b was observed. The reaction is expected to proceed through initial one-electron oxidation with formation of an intermediate cyclobutane radical cation 11. In addition to cycloreversion, competing reaction steps of 11, which lead to the observed byproducts, are suggested.     

Surface viscoelasticity of phospholipid monolayers at the air/water interface

The surface viscoelastic properties of monolayers of two phospholipids DPPC (L--dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine) and DMPE (L--dimyristoylphosphatidyl-ethanolamin), at the air-water interface have been investigated. Two techniques were used for the investigation. One involved use of an interfacial shear rheometer (torsion pendulum apparatus ISR1), to provide measurements of the shear viscosity _s as a function of surface pressure, and the second, a modified LB trough with an oscillating barrier to generate periodie dilation and compression so as to measure the dilational elastic modulusE as a function of surface area.Results indicate a strong dependence of _s andE upon monolayer phases. This suggests that the viscoelastic relaxation of monolayers can be understood as molecular rearrangements, domain exchange and molecular reorientations between different monolayer states.     

Phlogophites intercalated with Al2O3 pillars and modified with transition metals as catalysts of the DeNOx process

Natural phlogophite, pre-treated with acids and intercalated with alumina pillars, was used as catalytic support. Transition metals (Fe, Cu) were deposited on the surface of the modified clay materials by an ion-exchange method. The obtained samples were characterized with respect to structure (XRD), texture (BET), composition (EPMA) and chemical nature of the deposited transition metals species (UV-vis-DRS). The phlogophite based materials have been found to be active and selective catalysts of the DeNOx process. The Fe-containing samples were catalytically active at lower temperatures than the clays modified with copper. A competitive ammonia oxidation by oxygen decreased the effectiveness of the DeNOx process in the high temperature range.